It was recently revealed that Ubisoft is bringing Assassin's Creed Valhalla to a close in the lead-up to Assassin's Creed Infinity. Rather than continuing to make narrative DLC for the existing title, Ubisoft has chosen to further develop what was once a story expansion and make it a standalone adventure. This story will focus on Basim, who is revealed to be a very important character by the end of Valhalla and his story may be the perfect bridge between the old and new eras of Assassin's Creed.

[Warning: Spoilers ahead for Assassin's Creed Valhalla.]

For about half a decade now, the Assassin's Creed franchise has been criticized for its departure from stealth-focused gameplay, choosing instead to make action-adventure RPGs. Though some found the change to be refreshing and interesting, the majority seems to feel like the Assassin's Creed series didn't need change because it rather now focuses on huge worlds with legendary warriors instead of actual assassins. So, the announcement that a future installment will return to a small scale, stealth-focused experience has the community intrigued.

Related: Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection - Which Game Is Best

Bloomberg's Jason Schreier broke the news in a recently published article in which he also revealed that the game will be putting players in the shoes of Basim, the ally-turned-enemy from Valhalla. Despite all the other surprises that came with this announcement, this perspective change seemed the most surprising. However, it's a decision that makes a lot of sense.

Basim Harkens Back To Old-School Assassin's Creed

altair and basim side by side

Given his absence in AC Valhalla expansions, Basim may be an Assassin's Creed character some players already forgot about. Basim is one of Valhalla's primary supporting characters who introduces Eivor to the concept of the Hidden Ones and aids in his journey across England. Everything from his wardrobe to his demeanor also harkens back to the days of Altaïr, where assassins were more low-key and preferred silence and shadows to raiding and blood baths.

This is no accident either because Basim isn't just a Hidden One thrown in to help Eivor. Basim was born in what is now Iraq and lived in Syria and Constantinople during his years of training to be a Master Assassin. At that time, the Hidden Ones were reestablishing their presence throughout the middle east after being driven out of Britannia and Francia by the Roman Empire. Over time, the Hidden Ones would morph into the Order of Assassins that Altaïr grew up in and Basim's presence almost feels like a return to the first Assassin's Creed game's setting.

All this is to say that Basim feels like a return to the series' roots, whether it be to his connection to Altaïr or his physical resemblance to AC Revelation's Ezio. Given the promise of a more traditional AC experience in this upcoming adventure, Basim is really the only character who feels at home with that kind of setting. However, Basim isn't solely a return to the series' past because the end of AC Valhalla explicitly states that he is also the series' future.

Basim Represents A Huge Change In The Assassin's Creed Universe

AC Valhalla's basim in the Yggdrasil facility

Regardless of whether it's Desmond Miles or Layla Hassan leading the charge, it's no secret that the present-day story for AC is a mess. Thankfully, Valhalla is potentially moving the present-day story forward by making some big changes, the biggest being Basim. At the end of AC Valhalla, it's revealed that the consciousness of Loki managed to reawaken within Basim, who came into possession of the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus after Layla entered the Grey. This reanimated Basim's body and established him as the new driver of the present-day storyline.

Related: All Assassin's Creed Present-Day Protagonists, Ranked Worst to Best

Thanks to the Staff, who houses the consciousness of his love Aletheia, Basim navigated his way to the Animus that Eivor is connected to and entered the program. The purpose of doing so was to live through Eivor and use the Bleeding Effect to internalize his movements and abilities, as well as locate other Sages and the reincarnations of his children. The ultimate cliffhanger comes when Basim requests that he be introduced to the Order's current mentor, William Miles.

This is where Basim's story ended prior to this announcement. Valhalla's current expansions, including the upcoming Dawn of Ragnarök expansion, have stayed in the past to continue Eivor's story and explore the mythological side of the series rather than make a return to the present day. Though Basim's adventure is likely to explore the past as well, the potential to finally explore the present-day could not only be crucial for the series' lore, but also the series' shift toward Assassin's Creed Infinity.

What The New Assassin's Creed Game Means For AC Infinity

Regarding the lore, the present-day has been criminally under-explored since the death of Desmond; and even then, it wasn't fleshed out in the way fans wanted. Basim is uniquely situated to end that tradition but do so by being the first living Isu, the series' precursor civilization, to have a presence in the present-day. Prior to Basim, the closest the series came to something like this was with the Sages, who are individuals with higher concentrations of Isu DNA which provides them deeper insight and control over Pieces of Eden. Giving a protagonist this entirely new perspective can be just what the series needs to properly explore its modern world.

Basim's Isu knowledge and understanding of modern technology will also provide the perfect way to introduce Assassin's Creed Infinity, which is taking the series into the online service space. The ambition for this game is to allow players access to multiple time periods at once. Since the concept of the Animus is already meta, as in the player is also technically in the Animus, Basim can make the Animus meta fun again by developing or outright creating more sophisticated technology capable of simulating the multiple time periods at once.

The potential for where this game can go and what it can do is vast and, more importantly, can make huge changes while retaining the classic Assassin's Creed feel. Basim has been criminally underused thus far and getting a whole game to himself is exactly what he deserves and what the series needs. Hopefully, this new standalone game will take advantage of Basim's potential and properly usher in the next era of Assassin's Creed.

Next: Why Dawn of Ragnarök Might Be AC Valhalla's Last Big Expansion